Dear
friends and family,
First of all, I love you so much! I miss you guys so much, especially
when I have a bad day or when I start to feel like I’m not
making any difference here, when I really have a hard time focusing on my real
reason for being here, or what I can do I f I strive to always have the
spirit with me. I have come to love the scripture Ether 12:27, because I truly have
many weaknesses, more than I like to admit. I truly believe that
Christ, through His atonement, I can overcome these weaknesses, and I
look forward to the day when I can look back on my mission and see how
I’ve overcome my trials and burdens that I am dealing with here. I
apologize because this week’s email is on Tuesday because we went to
the Jordan River Temple this morning and so the rest of the day is
off. I have truly been humbled this past week. I felt for a long time
like I was doing alright, like I knew what I was talking about. My companion and I have learned this week that if we want something to change, whether it be a circumstance or the attitude of others, then we need to learn to humble ourselves and see each circumstance as a learning
experience. I pray each night and thank Heavenly Father that I may be
a missionary for Him at this time and place, but I also pray for
trials and experiences for me to grow to my full potential. I want to
come away from this mission having learned and changed my life for the
better so I can truly, one day, feel comfortable being in the presence
of my Savior, being able to say, "I used your atonement in my life,
Thank you, for everything. I taught your gospel, I opened my mouth to
every soul that passed by in an attempt to bring them closer to you. I
am sorry for all the wrong I did, for all I caused you to suffer for,
but I know you did it out of love. I could have only achieved what I
have in my life and became who I was because of you. I not only had
the ability to wish for an eternal family, but I had the opportunity
to have a family tied with the true bonds of love you have for all of
us, those bonds that death cannot break, that time could not rust or
corrode. Thank you, I love you." I truly love all of you back home, I
wish I could be there but I know I am helping other families come
together through the atonement of Christ. I am doing well, my
companion is freezing but it hasn't even hit zero degrees yet. I love
it here. I love these people. Please keep me in your prayers for I
need every bit of support I can get. Take care of the missionaries
back home as you wish the members here will take care of me. I think of all ya'll every day. I
pray for you every night. I wish I could be home but I know in my
heart this is the place to be. I know when I do come home, my love for
all ya'll will have grown exponentially as I serve our Savior. Thank
you for all the emails. I read every word and cherish them. Take care.
Till next week...
Love Elder Patterson
First of all, I love you so much! I miss you guys so much, especially
when I have a bad day or when I start to feel like I’m not
making any difference here, when I really have a hard time focusing on my real
reason for being here, or what I can do I f I strive to always have the
spirit with me. I have come to love the scripture Ether 12:27, because I truly have
many weaknesses, more than I like to admit. I truly believe that
Christ, through His atonement, I can overcome these weaknesses, and I
look forward to the day when I can look back on my mission and see how
I’ve overcome my trials and burdens that I am dealing with here. I
apologize because this week’s email is on Tuesday because we went to
the Jordan River Temple this morning and so the rest of the day is
off. I have truly been humbled this past week. I felt for a long time
like I was doing alright, like I knew what I was talking about. My companion and I have learned this week that if we want something to change, whether it be a circumstance or the attitude of others, then we need to learn to humble ourselves and see each circumstance as a learning
experience. I pray each night and thank Heavenly Father that I may be
a missionary for Him at this time and place, but I also pray for
trials and experiences for me to grow to my full potential. I want to
come away from this mission having learned and changed my life for the
better so I can truly, one day, feel comfortable being in the presence
of my Savior, being able to say, "I used your atonement in my life,
Thank you, for everything. I taught your gospel, I opened my mouth to
every soul that passed by in an attempt to bring them closer to you. I
am sorry for all the wrong I did, for all I caused you to suffer for,
but I know you did it out of love. I could have only achieved what I
have in my life and became who I was because of you. I not only had
the ability to wish for an eternal family, but I had the opportunity
to have a family tied with the true bonds of love you have for all of
us, those bonds that death cannot break, that time could not rust or
corrode. Thank you, I love you." I truly love all of you back home, I
wish I could be there but I know I am helping other families come
together through the atonement of Christ. I am doing well, my
companion is freezing but it hasn't even hit zero degrees yet. I love
it here. I love these people. Please keep me in your prayers for I
need every bit of support I can get. Take care of the missionaries
back home as you wish the members here will take care of me. I think of all ya'll every day. I
pray for you every night. I wish I could be home but I know in my
heart this is the place to be. I know when I do come home, my love for
all ya'll will have grown exponentially as I serve our Savior. Thank
you for all the emails. I read every word and cherish them. Take care.
Till next week...
Love Elder Patterson
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